Heuchera plant named ‘Caramel’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Heuchera villosa , ‘Caramel’, characterized by its uniquely colored foliage of cordate-shaped leaves that emerge greyed-orange and mature to golden yellow-green, its vigorous growth habit and its resistance to disease.

Botanical classification: Heuchera villosa.

Cultivar designation: ‘Caramel’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heucheravillosa, and is hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Caramel’.

The inventor discovered the new cultivar, ‘Caramel’ as a chance seedlingin a cultivated nursery bed in Hantay, France, CT in 2003. Although theparentage is unknown, the characteristics of the new cultivar and theproximity of plants of Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Pride’ (not patented)suggests that ‘Autumn Pride’ is a probable parent.

The new cultivar was selected for its unique foliage that emergesgrey-red in color and matures to a golden yellow-green color. Thefoliage color of ‘Autumn Pride’ is green. ‘Caramel’ is most similar infoliage coloration to Heuchera ‘Amber Waves’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.13,348), a Heuchera of hybrid origin. ‘Caramel’ differs in havingfoliage that is less ruffled, more cordate in shape, and more sunfast.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished underdirection by the inventor by in vitro propagation in The Netherlands inthe fall of 2003. Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by divisionand tissue culture has shown that the unique features of ‘Caramel’ arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Caramel’ as a new and unique cultivar of Heuchera.

-   -   1. ‘Caramel’ has foliage with the unique coloration of emerging        greyed-orange and turning to a golden yellow-green on maturity.    -   2. The leaves of ‘Caramel’ are cordate in shape and fairly flat        in aspect.    -   3. ‘Caramel’ reaches a plant height of 60 cm in bloom.    -   4. ‘Caramel’ is vigorous grower compared to the growth rate that        is typical for Heuchera with colored foliage and has been shown        to be resistant to diseases under the conditions tested.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Heuchera. The photographs weretaken in The Netherlands in April of a one year-old plant grown outdoorsin a field plot.

The photograph on the first sheet provides an overall view of foliagecharacteristics of new cultivar.

The photographs on the second sheet are close-up views of the foliage of‘Caramel’; the top photo provides a view of the foliage as it emergesand changes with maturity (clockwise) and the bottom photograph is of amature leaf. The colors in the photographs are as close as possible withthe photographic and printing technology utilized. The color valuescited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe thecolors of the new Heuchera.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of a one year-old plant of thenew cultivar as grown outdoors in The Netherlands. The phenotype of thenew cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, andcultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withthe 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: ‘Caramel’ is a cultivar of Heuchera    villosa.-   Parentage: Chance seedling, most probably a seedling of Heuchera    villosa ‘Autumn Pride’.-   General description:    -   -   Plant habit.—Clump-forming herbaceous perennial, mounded            foliage.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 60 cm in height in bloom            and about 28 cm in width. Foliage reaches a height of about            12 cm.        -   Hardiness.—Cold hard to at least USDA Zone 6.        -   Culture.—Full sun to medium shade in moist, well-drained,            fertile soils.        -   Diseases and pests.—Disease free in the conditions tested,            no susceptibility or resistance to pests has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous roots on woody rootstalks.        -   Branching habit.—Basal rosettes of leaves on petioles.        -   Propagation.—In vitro propagation is the preferred method,            division are also possible.        -   Root initiation.—Roots appear in rooting media in 10 day at            20° C. in the laboratory without supplemental lighting.        -   Root development.—Rooted transplants from tissue culture            fully develop in a 2.5 in container in about 20 days in a            greenhouse with average temperatures of about 20° C. without            supplemental lighting in The Netherlands.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous compared to what is typically observed            for Heuchera with colored foliage. A 2.5 inch container will            fully develop in a one-gallon container in 2 to 2.5 months            in the Netherlands.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Cordate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple, but lobed with about 7 lobes per            leaf.        -   Leaf base.—Strongly cordate (leaves at base overlap).        -   Leaf apex.—Acute to rounded.        -   Leaf venation.—Palmate, conspicuous but not prominent, vein            color on upper surface of mature leaves 152D, vein color on            lower surface of mature leaves N170D.        -   Leaf margins.—Crenate, average of 2.5 teeth per cm.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Basal rosettes.        -   Leaf orientation.—Held horizontal to petiole, held nearly            flat (not ruffled or curled).        -   Leaf surface.—Upper: pubescent with 1 mm stiff white hairs,            lower: glabrous with pubescence on veins.        -   Leaf color.—Young leaves (upper surface): greyed-orange 176A            with margin area 177B. Young leaves (lower surface):            greyed-red to greyed-purple ranges from 178A to 183C. Mature            leaves (upper surface): yellow-green 152A to 152B (color            slightly more brownish as if overlaid with 199A). Mature            leaves (lower surface): greyed-red 182B to 182C.        -   Leaf size.—About 8 cm in length, up to about 7.7 cm in            width.        -   Leaf quantity.—About 11 per basal rosette.        -   Petiole size.—Up to about 9 cm in length, about 2 mm in            width.        -   Petiole color.—182C.        -   Petiole shape.—Round.        -   Stipules.—2 leafy stipules at the base of each petiole,            oblong in shape, 1 cm in length, 2 mm in width, color 182C            (both surfaces), margins sparsely covered with short hairs.-   Flower and seed description: Flowering has not been observed on the    plants under the conditions tested.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant named ‘Caramel’ asherein illustrated and described.